


Calypso

by Lynn1998



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Falling In Love, Fluff, It’s saaaaad, Langst, M/M, Magical island AU???, Stranded together on an island, Temporary Amnesia, bit Lance’s like lives there and Keith washes up on shore, cursed island, idk how to tag this, idk i just shat this out tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-05-20 21:49:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14902659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn1998/pseuds/Lynn1998
Summary: “Focus on getting off the island. You’re needed elsewhere,” Lance said.“And where is that?” Keith asked. Lance paused and then looked out his window.“I never know…” he murmured wistfully. Keith frowned.“What do you mean?” Lance shook his head.“Just…don’t waste your time.”-Stranded on an island with no memory, Keith’s only form of company, Lance, only gives him ominous warnings to leave and refuses to make nice…until he simply can’t keep up the charade anymore.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> There’s probably typos…I must confess I don’t really care so if you’re gonna come over every word I don’t wanna hear it and you’re wasting your time and energy thnx

     The first thing he saw when he woke up was a shadow. Behind it sat the sun, staring down at him and shimmering around the figure. He blinked, and then then figure became clearer.

“Who…” his question died on his tongue as his eyes properly took in the man hovering over him. His beautiful copper skin was lit by the hot sand under them, and his bright blue eyes had the most earnest look to them.

“You’re hurt,” he spoke and touched the blood oozing from his forehead.

“Who are you?”

“Who are _you?_ “ the stranger responded.

“I’m Keith…I think…”

“You think?” He questioned raising a brow.

“My head…” Keith reaches up and his fingers brushed against the strangers. Tan fingers ripped away from pale skin, and Keith couldn’t help but notice how cute he looked when he blushed.

“I have the skills and materials to heal you…can you stand?” He asked.

“Who are you?” Keith asked again. He pressed his lips into a thin line.

“I’m…Lance,” he answered.

“Lance…” Keith couldn’t help but smile at the way his name tasted on his tongue. “…you’re beautiful.”

“And you’re loosing blood,” Lance snipped and stood up. Keith sat up, and was helped up onto his feet.

“Sorry,” Keith said and allowed Lance to lead him.

     They said nothing on their way to Lance’s cottage. Once they were inside he gave Keith some water and began tending to his wound. It stung, and then it was soothed. By the end of it, Keith was at peace with Lance being so close to him. He was already so used to it that when Lance pulled away he felt his body crave him.

“Luckily your wound wasn’t too big or deep. I don’t particularly like stitches,” Lance murmured and he washed his hand. Keith said nothing as he watched Lance dry his hands and then return to make sure the bandage was in place. “What do you remember?” He asked.

“Nothing,” Keith replied honestly.

     There was something about him that…fell. His facial expression didn’t change, and his body didn’t move an inch. But he was very obviously disappointed.

“Then leave,” he replied shortly and turned away. Keith blinked and then frowned.

“Leave?” He questioned.

“Yes. You have more important things to worry about,” Lance assured him. Keith stood up only to sit right back down. Lance tsked and went to his side with a glass of water. “Not now, idiot.”

“I wasn’t about to leave anyways. I was about to confront you,” Keith argued. Lance rolled his eyes and set the glass on the table after Keith failed to accept it.

“Focus on getting off the island. You’re needed elsewhere,” Lance said.

“And where is that?” He asked. Lance paused and then looked out his window.

“I never know…” he murmured wistfully. Keith frowned.

“What do you mean?” Lance shook his head.

“Just…don’t waste your time.”

     The rest of that day Keith spent trying desperately to remember what his purpose was before he woke up. No matter how hard he tried, his thoughts were interrupted but the thought of Lance. He allowed Keith to stay in a spare room he had, but it was obvious he wasn’t interested in engaging with him. For some reason that only intrigued Keith further.

     He slept like a baby the first night, and woke up at dawn. When he got up Lance was still asleep, so he made his way to the beach. Scattered across the sand were various debris from some sort of ship wreak. Keith couldn’t help but wonder if it was his ship. There were little nuts and bolts and metal sheets, but the main mass of the ship was nowhere in sight. He knelt down to pick up a piece, and read the wording on the metal.

“Red Rover…”

     The name leaving his tongue sounded familiar, but he could only remember feelings and emotions associated with it. He remembered the feeling of excitement, contentment, and bliss with the name, as well as anxiety, adrenaline, and fear. The call to his past emotions caused his cut on his forehead to pulse, and he reached up to apply pressure on the wound and hopefully relieve his pain.

“Shit…” he breathed and set down the loose piece.

     Keith then stood up and turned to face the cottage. Lance was watching him from his window, but quickly looked away when Keith’s eyes found him. He disappeared further into his house, but that only encourages Keith to wonder back to him. 

     He walked back to the cottage and leaned his elbows on the windowsill. Inside he spotted Lance using his stove. He was stirring something inside a pan, and Keith picked up in the familiar smell of eggs and salt. The other man either didn’t notice him, or refused to acknowledge his existence. So Keith settled for watching him cook until he slid the eggs on to two separate plates. Before he could process what Lance was doing, the steaming plate was set in front of him.

“Thanks,” He said automatically. Lance said nothing and started to walk away to his table. “Good morning,” he blurted. Lance looked up at him briefly before nodding.

“Mm,” he hummed.

“Is there a reason as to why you refuse to talk to me?” Keith asked. Lance focused on his eggs.

“I simply don’t want to,” Lance claimed.

“Is that why you were watching me?” Keith challenged. “Because you don’t want to talk to me?” Lance’s mouth was thin.

“No. I was just checking to make sure that you’re working towards returning to your mission,” he replied.

“My mission?” He asked. Lance said nothing. “What mission?”

“I don’t know _what_ your mission is. All I know is that you _have_ one,” Lance said impatiently.

“Well, you know more than I do,” Keith grumbled and started to eat his egg.

“It’s best if we don’t talk,” Lance said standing up to clean his dish.

“I mean, I came to that conclusion because you’re being annoyingly stubborn and vague, but what made _you_ come to that conclusion?”

“I have my reasons,” Lance replied.

“Sounds stubborn and vague to me…”

“You can sleep here tonight, and you can eat when you’re hungry. Just try and leave as soon as possible.”

     And so Keith did. Although he didn’t really get past trying to leave. There wasn’t much he could really work with. He had half a ship in pieces, and a less than helpful hint from Lance that he needed to be somewhere. Other than that he had the possible name of his ship and the emotions it gave him, so not a lot to work with.

     For the rest of that second day, he gathered his wreckage and put it in a pile. He rummaged through it, but there wasn’t much to connect or restore. He didn’t even have an engine or a control panel. By the looks of what he had he could possibly rebuild it, but he only had the shell of the ship he must’ve crashed in. Even if he had all the pieces, he wasn’t exactly confident he could remember how to reengineer it and rebuild it to work. He didn’t even know if he /could/ rebuild a ship. Maybe he was a shorty pilot, and that’s why he crashed in the first place.

     That night he slept less peacefully. His brain was going a mile a minute thinking about what Lance had said and how much Keith wanted to ask him more. He fell asleep picturing a normal conversation with him, and when he woke, he was surprised to see Lance himself tending to his wound again. He paused when he noticed Keith was awake, but continued to clean and redress the cut.

“You’re healing up fast,” Lance said.

“Am I?”Keith asked. Lance nodded.

“That’s what I just said,” he murmured. 

     Keith blinked up at him and appreciated the concentrated look on his face. He couldn’t help but appreciate the way he looked with the sun illuminating his face from the open window. Navy eyes lazily dragged across the beautiful cinnamon skin before it settled on his lips. They looked supple, and soft, and soon Keith was pushing himself to sit up properly and get a better look. Lance leaned away.

“Sorry,” He murmured while his hand retreated. Keith gently grabbed his wrist before he could fully pull it away. Lance avoided his eyes. “…Sorry…”

“What are you apologizing for?” Keith asked.

“I…clearly failed,” he replied vaguely. Keith sighed.

“Will you ever give me a straight answer?” Keith questioned. Lance peeked up at him once before looking towards the window.

“I can’t.”

“You _can’t?_ “

“I…shouldn’t.”

“Shouldn’t is different from can’t,” Keith pointed out. Lance turned his head to look at him, mouth open to speak but the words dead before they could meet his throat. He noticed how close Keith was, and turned his head away again.

“I won’t,” he decided.

“Why not?” He asked.

“This island is no good. The sooner you leave, the better,” Lance replied.

“I barely have half a ship, how should I get out of here?” He questioned. Lance tried to pull his wrist away, and Keith allowed him.

“The other half is somewhere, okay? Everyone who ends up here can find a way back,” he answered.

“Everyone?” Keith repeated. Lance froze with wide eyes, realizing his mistake. “Have there been others?”

“Goodbye, Keith,” Lance said standing up.”

“Lance, wait-“ before he could finish his sentence, Lance was out the door. “Shit…”

     After his brief interaction with Lance, there were eggs left for him again on the counter. Lance was no where in sight, so Keith scarfed then down and cleaned his plate.

     Before he went searching for the rest of his ship, he decided to get a good look at the island. He ventured to the tall tree next to Lance’s cottage, and climbed it to get a better view. The ocean went on for miles, and the island itself was tiny. Keith couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t just wash up on shore, but fall in through the atmosphere. He could now see that there was a cave about a mile down the beach. It was a little higher on the mountain, so it was hard to see on the beach where Keith’s pile of wreckage sat.

     Just as he was about to climb down, he noticed Lance sitting in the water. He bit his lip and squinted to get a better view of the man’s bronze shoulders. Without thinking, he climbed down and started to head for the beach. He wasn’t headed for the cave like he should’ve been, and despite their earlier interaction, he just couldn’t help but want to see Lance again.

“I don’t have your ship,” Lance said as Keith waded through the water to get to him.

“Didn’t think you did,” he said as he stopped next to the other man.

“You’re wasting time then,” Lance said 

“It seems less wasteful when I waste it on you,” Keith said.

“Flirting with me is an even bigger waste of time,” Lance snorted.

“How come?”

“I’ll never fall for you,” he said a little too confidently.

“What’s wrong with this island?” He asked.

“It’s no good.”

“I know, that’s what you said.”

“If you spend too much time here…you’ll never want to leave,” Lance told him.

“Is that such a bad thing?” He questioned.

“It is when you have family. It is when you have more important things to do with your life. It is when you can die, and live your last moments in a prison,” Lance told him bitterly.

“Why are you so convinced that I have a mission?” Keith asked.

“It’s a pattern,” Lance murmured wrapping his arms around his knees.

“A pattern? You mean with the others?”

“Stop talking to me. I’ve already said too much.”

“Lance-“

“Just leave as soon as possible,” Lance snapped and got up to storm off. Keith watched him leave, and then sighed.

     His ship was in the cave. It turned out it was a small ship meant for space travel. The whole thing was more or less in tact, and he could actually start it and drive it out on to the beach. He couldn’t fly it yet though. The wings were too bare and damaged, and the rockets that lifted it off the ground were damaged too. Still, he at least had his ship. 

     Once he had it rolled out onto the beach, he got out and just bathed in the setting sun. The days seemed to pass by faster the less time he spent with Lance. It made him want to spend more time with him.

     When he returned to the cottage he found Lance sitting on one of the low branches of the tree right next to it. Keith stopped and looked up at him, but the other man was too busy staring at the ship glistening on the sand. With Lance distracted, Keith silently climbed up to his branch. The only announcement to his presence was a snapping twig that immediately guided Lance’s eyes to Keith’s.

“Hey,” he breathed as he moved to sir next to Lance.

“You found your ship,” Lance pointed out.

“Yes,” keith nodded. “I can’t remember how to fix it though.”

“It’ll come to you,” Lance assured him and returned his eyes to the moon’s reflection on the ocean.

“I mean, I don’t know if I could even fix this before I lost my memories…”

“You’ll be able to leave. That’s how this works,” Lance said.

“What is…’this’?”

“It’s not important to you.”

“But it sounds important to you,” Keith noted. Lance took in a sharp breath before letting it out slowly.

“It’s not important to you,” he repeated.

“Lance-“

“I’m going to bed,” Lance announced and slipped off the branch. He landed safely on his feet and then disappeared into his cottage.

     That night Keith heard crying from the kitchen. He had barely managed to start to fall asleep, but the sound of Lance’s sobs immediately snapped him awake. Without hesitation, he got up and walked into the kitchen. Lance gasped mid-sob, and turned his face away when he noticed Keith. He wiped his tears and stared painfully out the window. Keith frowned.

“What’s wrong?” He asked. Lance shook his head.

“Nothing, I…I just had a bad dream,” he replied.

“Do you have those often?” Keith questioned and moved closer to the table Lance sat at. The tanned beauty shrugged.

“I mean…only when I have visitors,” he answered truthfully.

“Like me?” Keith’s voice was gentle as he sat across from him. Lance nodded and sniffled.

“Its just a trick…it’s meant to…meant to make you care about me. It’s nothing you should worry about,” Lance assured him. Keith sighed.

“I can’t wrap my head around this… _why_ can’t you tell me what’s happening?”

“It doesn’t change anything whether you’re aware or not, and explaining it only irritates the visitors,” Lance explained.

“Try me,” Keith urged. Lance sighed.

“I’m…not mortal,” he started. “I used to be. I was actually in your position a long time ago. Woken up with a crashed ship, a stranger, and a crashed ship. It must’ve been centuries ago now…”

“Centuries…”

“I couldn’t remember anything, and I couldn’t find a reason to leave. The stranger…I fell in love with her, and then…the moment I decided to stay all my memories came flooding back. My parents, and my siblings…the reason I left…it’s such a distant memory now, but I still remember how much it hurt when I realized I couldn’t return to them,” Lance explained. Keith furrowed his brows.

“So…until I decide to stay, I won’t remember?” He asked. Lance shook his head.

“Once you resume your mission it’ll come back, but as long as you’re on this island…your memory is useless. Every time a visitor decided to stay…they went mad thinking about what they should’ve returned too.”

“Can’t they return? Just because they said they would stay, does that make it impossible to leave?” Keith asked. Lance shook his head.

“You can’t just say it…you have to mean it. That’s why it’s so frustrating.”

“Why? What purpose does the island have?”

“It feeds off of the heartbreak. The love and love lost keeps it thriving. I’m a continuous food source for it because of how much it tourments me with all these visitors. Sometimes I’m successful, and they leave, but most times…I fail,” Lance told him.

“What happened to the first girl?” He asked.

“I took her place. She became too exhausted and calloused for the island the feed off of eventually it swallowed her whole. It’s a cycle. The man before her lasted two centuries. She lasted a century and a half, and I…” he took a shaky inhale. “I’ve been here for almost six hundred years,” he confessed.

“How have you survived for so long?”

“I can’t help it. My heart is too big. I care too much. It’s always been a flaw of mine. My heart aches for my family everyday, and in exchange, I am rarely gifted visitors. I get one every decade now, and it hurts me every time.”

“Lance…” Keith reached to hold his hand, but Lance only pulled away.

“Keith, _please_ , if you care for me at all just leave,” Lance begged.

“But I-“

“Leaving me won’t hurt me as much as staying would. If you stay and you remember everything…you could’ve made the biggest mistake of your life.”

“What would stop me from leaving if I decide it was a mistake?”

“Its a cursed island. It makes sure that you can leave until you decide to stay.”

“And its manipulating me? Or something?” Lance nodded.

“It doesn’t exactly control your thoughts, but it takes away anything to think about except for me. It also selects people who are attracted to me. I’m supposedly your type, and they always happen to be mine as well. It’s…intentional.”

“So…you are attracted to me too?” Keith asked. Lance frowned.

“Is that like all you heard me say?” He questioned. Keith blushed and then shrugged.

“No, but…it intrigued me…”

“Keith, please…someone out there is waiting for you. You need to get back to them,” Lance told him. Keith bit his lip and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I…I hear and understand everything you’re saying, but…I can’t fight this urge to just…stay…with you,” Keith murmured. Lance sighed.

“Keith…”

“I guess what I really want is to just…know more about you.”

“That won’t _help_ ,” Lance replied.

“But I can’t stop thinking about you.” Lance groaned and buried his face in his hands.

“You’re insufferable…”

“Lance, I-“ he stood up suddenly, silencing Keith.

“It doesn’t even matter! I could scream at you all night and call you horrible names! You’d still want to stay!” Lance cried hoarsely.

“Lance, please-“

“Its always the same! I wish I could feel nothing, but every day I suffer!” He sobbed. Keith stood up as Lance started to storm off.

“Lance, wait!” Keith called and followed him down to the beach.

     Lance stopped at the shore and fell to his knees. He cried and cried as the waves caressed his knees. Keith stopped shortly behind him and took a second to catch his breath. Eventually he sat down next to the shaking man, and rubbed his back.

“Just leave…” he whimpered.

“I will,” Keith nodded.

“I don’t wanna keep you here…you’ll go insane, or try to kill yourself, or-“ he stopped talking as his breath hitched.

“Its okay, I promise I’ll leave,” keith assured him. Lance nodded and allowed Keith to hold him. “I mean…is there any way to come back?” He asked. Lance shook his head, unintentionally nuzzling closer against Keith’s shoulder.

“Cursed.”

“I’ll find a way,” Keith hummed and rested his mouth on the top of Lance’s head. Lance chuckled wetly.

“Good luck…”

“Why can’t you come with me?” He asked.

“I’m five hundred and ninety seven years old. I’d turn to dust. Even if I was younger, I’d cease to exist. That’s what you have to give up to live here,” Lance explained. Keith sighed and then pressed a kiss to Lance’s hair.

“There’s gotta be a way to make it work…” he whispered. Lance shook his head.

“I wish there was…”

     That night they returned to their rooms and slept. Keith’s sleep wasn’t getting any better, but he managed to at least get in an hour or two before the sun rise woke him up again. This time he woke up before Lance, and there was a distinct lack of eggs in the air. He got up and looked through the kitchen. The eggs were easy to find, and cooking them was like second nature. Muscle memory.

     Lance still wasn’t up once Keith was done eating, so he ventured down to the beach. He started tampering with his ship, and even found a tool box inside it. Half the day quickly melted away as Keith slowly but surely patched his Red Rover back together. He wiped the sweat from his brow once he had all the metal panels back in place, and he couldn’t help but look back at the cottage. He spotted Lance framed by the window sill, and noticed that he was making lemonade. Without a second thought, he was headed back to Lance.

“Making progress?” Lance asked calmly. Keith nodded and watched Lance pour him a glass.

“Yeah, it’s…almost ready to fly again,” he murmured. Lance handed the glass to him, and he gladly accepted it. “Thank you…”

“I told you you’d be able to fix it,” Lance said. Keith smiled a little.

“You can be a brat sometimes, y’know?” He replied before sipping the sweet juice. Lance sputtered.

“E-excuse me?”

“What?”

“You called me brat.”

“Yeah? Is there something wrong with that?” Keith questioned and then drained the glass. 

     Lance’s mouth opened to talk, but he was distracted watching Keith’s throat as he gulped the lemonade. He set the glass down and smirked at the way Lance was gaping at him. Lance shook his head and blushed.

“No, it’s just…visitors don’t really insult me.” Keith licked his lips.

“Maybe you haven’t been rude enough until now,” he said. Lance pouted.

“I’ve been much ruder. It only makes them fall quicker,” Lance replied. Keith chuckled and leaned his elbows on the windowsill.

“Is that why you drive me crazy?” He asked. Lance huffed and tried to turn away. Keith quickly caught his wrist and bit his lip briefly.

“Look…I know that I can’t stay, but…that doesn’t mean we have to avoid each other,” he said. Lance thought for a moment before relaxing his arm.

“It’ll make it harder for you to leave,” he pointed out.

“I can handle it, okay? I promised you I’ll leave,” Keith reminded him. Lance sighed, and allowed Keith to guide him closer.

“Keith, i-if you kiss me-“

“Just shut up and let me,” Keith sighed before threading his fingers through Lance’s short brown hair. Lance made a noise of protest before Keith pressed his lips firmly against his. The kiss didn’t last long, but the moment it broke Lance had to bit his lip to stop it from trembling.

“Don’t worry about it, okay?” Keith cooed. Lance hesitated before nodding.

“Okay…”

     Later Keith found himself spontaneously kissing Lance again. He ate lunch with him after their first kiss, and then he continued working on his ship until the sun started to set. When he returned Lance was making dinner, and he couldn’t resist wrapping his arms around the other man’s skinny waist and kissing his neck. Lance squirmed in resistance.

“Keith-“

“Smells good,” he hummed and nuzzled his ear. Lance shivered and then shook his head.

“Just because I let you kiss me once, doesn’t mean you can do it whenever you please,” Lance grumbled.

“Okay then. May I please kiss you?” Keith asked.

“No. I’m making dinner,” Lance answered.

“Alright. How about after dinner?” He requested. Lance tensed up.

“W-we have to go to bed after dinner,” he stuttered.

“We dont have to right away…” Keith hummed. “My ship is almost done. We don’t have a lot of time before I have to leave.” Lance hesitated, and briefly paused his stirring.

“I suppose…one or two wouldn’t hurt…”

“Yeah?”

“…Okay.”

     Dinner was full of Keith staring at Lance longingly. It had gotten to the point where he was so unashamed of his attraction that he didn’t bother holding himself back. In his eyes he was leaving soon. He wanted to spend as much time with Lance as he could before he took off. So he watched Lance eat, and didn’t hesitate to reach out and run his fingers down Lance’s arm. It made Lance blush, and that made Keith smile.

     Once they were done with dinner, he lead Lance down to the beach. He stopped in front of his newly repaired ship and smiled. Lance could only stare at the machinery with shiny eyes. Keith cupped his face and wiped away a tear.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“I don’t want you to go…” Lance whispered. Keith frowned.

“I know,” he replied. Lance looked at him with knitted brows. “But I have to.”

“Yes…” he nodded and sadly looked down. “Yes, you do.”

“Lance…” he stepped closer and guided Lance’s face up to look at him. He wiped away more tears and then leaned down to kiss him softly. His lips were gentle and chaste, and the kiss had Lance chasing them as Keith pulled back. “I’ll return to you one day. I promise,” Keith whispered. Lance sighed and merely shook his head.

“It’s impossible…” he sobbed.

“I’ll find a way,” Keith insisted. Lance glanced over at the sun set, and laid his head on Keith’s shoulder.

“I hope you do…”

“I’m falling in love with you. Of course I’ll find you again,” Keith murmured. Lance closed his eyes, and another tear rolled down his face.

“I wish I could have you to myself…this island is so cruel…” he sighed.

     Keith gently pushed Lance back, and then claimed his lips into another kiss. Lance allowed his lips to linger a little longer and press a little harder. His hands gripped Lance’s shoulders tightly, and his lips went on to kiss him again and again and again until he needed to stop for air. Even then his lips were hovering over Lance’s, and his hands were tight on his arms. Lance was breathing heavy.

“Lance, I’m ready to leave first thing in the morning,” Keith confessed. Lance’s lower lip trembled, and a soft sob slipped before he cupped Keith’s face and pulled him into another kiss.

“I’m so sorry…” he cried against Keith’s lips. Keith merely kissed him back. The tanned man shook his head “I don’t want you to go…I’ve never felt this way before…everyone is always too nice but you…you’re perfect,” he blubbered. Keith wrapped his arms around Lance’s waist.

“That’s because I didn’t need an island to love you,” Keith whispered. Lance pressed his lips together to stop them from trembling, and then shook his head.

“I’m sorry…this isn’t making it easier…maybe you should just…go now,” he said in a shaky voice. Keith shook his head.

“Not yet. I’ll leave, but I wanted to spend the night with you first,” he said. Lance nuzzled against the crook of Keith’s neck.

“You’re torturing me…”

“I wanted to be memorable, so that when I return you won’t have to try and remember which visitor I was,” Keith replied with little snark. Lance giggled wetly and pulled back to kiss Keith’s cheek.

“I’ll never forget you,” he murmured. Keith nosed at his neck, and hummed.

“Just one night. I don’t want you to lock yourself up in a separate room when I know all you want to do is rest with me,” Keith pleaded. Lance inhaled harshly, his voice wet but his lungs clearly sucked dry.

“Oh, Keith…” he gasped as Keith tightened his arms around Lance’s waist. Their bodies now pressed against each other.

“Please. I just want to hold you,” Keith promised. Lance sighed.

“As long as you stay true to your word…I won’t be able to resist if you offer me sweet temptations,” he whispered hoarsely. Keith nodded and pulled back to kiss Lance on the lips.

“Of course.”

“You’ll never want to leave if we do. Do you understand?” Lance asked. Keith nodded.

“I understand…”

     That morning Keith woke up and immediately wanted to fall asleep again. He was so warm curled around the heat of Lance’s body, and he loved the feeling of his love’s soft skin. The warmth enticed him, and so he snuggled closer to Lance and held him tighter. Eventually Lance woke up too, and Keith let the tan man assume he was sleeping.

     Lance was a lot more affectionate under the assumption that Keith was asleep. He turned around in his arms, and propped himself up on his elbow to gaze down at his pale face. His tan fingers brushed his hair away without Lance’s permission, and then slid down to caress his cheek. A smile made its way across Lance’s face as he watched Keith pretend to sleep. Then a single navy eye peeled up at him, and his smile grew. He giggled.

“Morning,” he whispered. Keith opened his other eye and smiled back.

“I must’ve missed my morning kiss then,” he replied. His voice fresh with sleep. Lance rolled his eyes before leaning down and kissing him on the forehead.

“Good morning,” he said pointedly.

     Keith pursed his lips, and then managed to prop himself up a little bit more. Lance has assumed that Keith was going to speak again, but was pleasantly surprised when he pushed himself up more and kissed him on the lips. He sighed with relief against his mouth, happy that he didn’t have to do it himself.

“Good morning,” Keith murmured against Lance’s lips before pressing his tongue into his mouth.

“Mm…Keith,” Lance moaned so softly, he didn’t even register his tone as arousing until Keith kissed him harder.

“Lance,” he slowly moved them until he was on top of the tan man and pinning him to the mattress. Lance gasped and let out another soft moan as Keith continued his kisses.

“Keith…you promised,” he whimpered. Keith kissed down Lance’s neck and started to suck on his neck.

“C’mon…don’t you trust me?” Keith hummed and dug his hands between the mattress and Lance’s waist. Lance gave a surprised moan, and arched his body into Keith.

“I…” Keith nipped and laved At Lance’s neck a little more before pulling back and brushed his kiss swollen lips against Lance’s.

“Don’t you?” He questioned and pulled an arm back to caress Lance’s skin. Lance looked up st him with wide eyes before reaching up and choking his face.

“I trust you with my life…and that’s what scares me,” he confessed. Keith smiled and let his other arm slip out from under Lance.

“Then trust me. I just wanted to leave something behind,” he assured him. Lance huffed, it sounded a little disappointed, but mostly sad.

“I’m gonna miss you,” he spoke so gently that Keith’s heart felt a tug.

“I’m gonna miss you too…and I’ll come back, but I have to leave. You said so yourself, someone is waiting for me…” Keith replied. Lance blinked with wet eyes.

“I know…I don’t want you to leave me,” he whimpered and wrapped his arms around Keith’s neck. Keith leaned down and hugged him back before they turned to lay on their sides again.

“I know,” Keith said. Lance pouted.

“How could you know?” He questioned. Keith reached up and wiped away Lance’s tear.

“You were so disappointed when I told you I have no memories…there was just something about you that fell with sadness. You wanted me to remember so I could stay,” keith recalled. Lance bit his lip.

“God, I really am an open book, aren’t I?” He sighed. Keith chuckled.

“I like it. I don’t have to guess what you’re saying or thinking.”

“Oh really? What am I thinking now, then?” Lance challenged with a smile.

“You’re thinking about how I’ll never guess what you’re thinking,” Keith replied. Lance laughed, and Keith laughed with him.

“Not exactly, but I’ll give you points for a witty guess.”

“Then what are you thinking?” Keith asked a little more seriously. Lance shifted a little closer and licked his lips. He pressed his forehead against Keith’s, and gently touched his face.

“I’m thinking about how I hope you’ll remember me…” He whispered. Keith held Lance closer against him.

“I could never forget you…”

     That morning Keith cooked, and they both discovered that Keith was a terrible cook. He barely managed to save the eggs from burning, but Lance still had to remake them and tease the other man for his incompetence. They ate together and then walked down to the beach together hand in hand. They stopped next to Keith’s ship, and Lance kissed him before he could say anything.

“Mm…Lance,” Keith’s warm tone was chasing his mouth as he pulled away. Lance immediately started fussing about Keith’s hair and shirt. He smoothed out the material across his chest, and started to push Keith’s hair into different positions. Keith chuckled.

“What are you doing?”

“Stalling,” Lance answered truthfully. Keith smiled and cupped Lance’s face.

“I’ll be back,” he promised. Lance blinked and tears started to face down his cheeks. He sniffled.

“Okay…”

“I know you don’t believe me, but I promise you…” Keith thumbed away his tears. “I’ll be back,” he whispered and pressed their foreheads together again. Lance nodded, tears rushing down his face at this point.

“I’m gonna miss you,” he croaked.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” Keith assured him. Lance nodded.

“I love you,” he confessed. Keith smiled before kissing Lance one last time.

“I love you too…”


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I dunno how long you plan to stay, but…I saw your ship approaching earlier and got excited. I made us lunch,” Lance gestured to the neatly arranged plates. Keith was still frozen at the door. “I-I hope it’s not too much. I just…I missed you a lot, and-“
> 
> “How long has it been?” Keith asked. His eyes darted to Lance’s neck, and mourned the unmarked skin. Lance was silent for a moment.
> 
> “Its been two weeks…”

“Red Rover, Red Rover, let Keith come on over,” Shiro hummed lazily over the comm. Keith chuckled as he zoomed onto his base ship. The planet behind him was like a distant memory behind him, and his mind was on his crew waiting for him.

“What took you so long dude? You were gone for a good two hours?” Hunk asked. Keith tried to call back on his previous adventures, but it was like trying to remember a dream.

“I…I’m not sure. I think I met someone,” he replied as he settled his ship in the bay.

“We’ll talk more when you join us upstairs.” Shiro decided.

“Yeah, hurry up,” Pidge pitched in.

“I’m coming,” Keith replied and hopped out of his ship.

     It took him less than a minute to maneuver his way through the familiar ship. He had been sailing the waves of galaxies and space with his team of space explorers. Some might call them space pirates, but they only raid for the sake of survival and education. To learn about other cultures, and sell their artifacts to the highest bidder. Pidge ran the auctions, while Hunk devised the plans. Keith and Shiro were usually the ones who put the plans into action on the ground in the least harmful ways possible. In the end, they stayed clear of the poorer cultures, and stuck to robbing the elitist societies that ran horrible governments.

“Seriously, one of us was gonna go down there to help you,” Hunk said ask Keith entered the war room. Shiro sat leaning his chin on his woven fingers. He was studying the digital map of the planet Keith returned from.

“I honestly can’t remember much. I think I like crashed my ship and met someone. All I really remember is feeling confused and sad,” Keith replied.

“The atmosphere emitted some kind of frequency that cut off our comms The moment you broke in there,” Pidge told him.

“Maybe that’s what messed with your memories,” Hunk suggested.

“Maybe…” Keith furrowed his brows as he tried to remember. “I think…I think I was like attached to him…”

“Who’s ‘him’?” Shiro asked. It was the first thing he said since Keith entered the room.

“I forgot his name, but…” he looked up to try and recall. “…he was sad…and wanted me to leave.”

“Was he hostile?” Pidge asked. Keith felt soft as a fuzzy memory surfaced.

“No, he wasn’t hostile,” he murmured. Warm fingers caressing his face followed by the glimpse of a wide smile. The memory then dissolved as soon as it appeared.

“That’s good. What else did you find?” Hunk asked curiously. Keith took a seat.

“An island? There wasn’t a lot really,” he rubbed he back of his head. “I seriously can’t remember much, but…I have this strange feeling that I should go back or something.”

“That’s not happening,” Shiro announced. Keith furrowed his brows.

“What? Why not?” Pidge asked.

“There could be mind manipulating overlords. We should totally rob them!” She continued excitedly.

“No amount of riches is worth messing with mind manipulation,” Shiro replied. “Keith’s memory has been compromised, and that’s enough for me to leave this planet behind.”

“I’m kind curious about the guy though. Is he okay? Maybe we should rescue him,” Hunk suggested.

“I value my crew more than some enigma of a human being,” Shiro replied. Keith’s first tightened. Indescribable anger flooded him, and he had no idea why. “Keith, please report to the medbay, I’ll have a check up with you before we-“

“We _have_ to go back!” Keith blurted. His fist came in contact with the table, and the moment his skin started to swell from the force he used embarrassment invaded his face. Pidge looked at him with wide eyes, and Hunk’s jaw was to the floor. He shrunk under Shiro’s confused glare, and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I mean…y-yeah…Okay.”

     Later in the medbay Keith still couldn’t understand his outburst. Shiro went through their routinely post mission check up, but the air was tense. Keith avoided his captain and older brothers eyes, and had a certain slouch to him that wasn’t there before. Shiro sighed as he crossed his arms.

“What was that back there?” He asked. Keith shrugged and looked down at the floor.

“I was just…angry for some reason.”

“And what was the reason?”

“I…don’t know. I-I can’t explain it. I just…I feel like I need to go back,” Keith felt like he was grasping at straws, but he couldn’t fight the urge. Shiro sighed.

“Do you really wanna risk your life again going down there?”

“I don’t think I was really in any danger, I just…” his eyes searched the air as if it had the answers to his lost memories. “…I think I made a promise to him.”

“You talk like you had the time to form a personal bond with the person. You were only gone for two hours,” Shiro informed him. Keith blinked.

“A couple hours…” he repeated. Suddenly he understood why he felt so weird. “It feels like it’s been almost four days.”

“Four _days?_ “ Shiro questioned. “The sun to this planet hasn’t moved an inch.”

“I remember sleeping…and eating multiple times before sleeping again. I…I-I just can’t remember…everything.”

“Keith-“

“I think I need to rescue him…”

“ _Keith_ -“

“I think…I-I think he’s in trouble-“

“That’s enough,” Shiro snapped. Keith looked up at him and saw the concern in his adoptive brothers eyes. “Look, I dunno what to tell you. I won’t let you go back there based on vague feelings and memories-“

“Then come with me,” Keith urged.

“Come…what?”

“Come with me. We’re safer together, right? Teamwork. It’s how we’ve always operated,” Keith reminded him. Shiro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I…shit, I guess you’re right,” he sighed. Keith waited as Shiro thought and then nodded. “Fine. We’ll enter the atmosphere with _caution_ , and if we lose Hunk and Pidge on the comms, we go right back,” he allowed. Keith nodded.

“Of course.”

     Turns out it wouldn’t be that easy. Before they left in Red, Pidge insisted that they take heavy duty ear plugs. The plugs she gave them were strong enough to block out a dog whistle, and therefore would protect them against the frequency. Hunk had been fixing some more armor on Red Rover ever since their meeting had been adjourned. He said that ever since Keith mentioned his crash, he was thinking of ways to improve his ship. From then on, Keith knew nothing could convince him to turn back.

     They loaded up on the ship, and then took off. Keith went straight for the planet, and leaned into his control panel as if it would increase his speed. Shiro checked in every other second with their communication tablet. He didn’t want to risk his mind being manipulated, so he told Hunk and Pidge to send a dot every second they were connected. They were sending a steady stream of dots until they started to stagnate. Shiro furrowed his brows and tapped the side of the tablet before it flickered. 

“Keith!” He shouted, but he couldn’t even hear himself speak. Even if Keith could hear him, he would ignore him. Shiro knew that. “ _Keith!_ “ He tapped his shoulder, and Keith pretended to not feel it as he dove deeper.

     Shiro growled as his teammate ignored him in favor of speeding up. He tried to show the tablet to Keith, but he merely kept his eyes on the sea in front of him. Soon he saw a dot in the horizon, and that dot expanded into a jungle, and then he could make out the beautiful beach. Then he could see a cottage on a hill with steps that lead to the beautiful sand.

“There…” he whispered. Shiro tested the frequency with his tablet, and took out the earplugs out when it popped up as normal. He then dug his finger into Keith’s ear and popped it out.

“You were supposed to turn back,” Shiro told him.

“Sorry. Couldn’t hear you,” Keith replied trying to hide a smirk.

“If you weren’t my little brother I’d give you more than an earful.”

“I’m sure you still will,” he murmured as he started to slow down.

     The beach came closer and closer. Once Keith was close enough to land, he gently nestled his ship into the welcoming grains. He hurriedly jumped out of the cockpit, and grounded himself in the familiar beach. It was so foreign, and yet it felt like he had known it all his life. Shiro climbed out behind him, and he starters to wander.

“Do you even know where you’re going?” Shiro asked.

“I think so…” Keith murmured and came to the wooden steps at the bottom of the hill. 

     He looked up at the cottage at the top, and then at the tall tree next to it. When he looked at the grooves, he could feel the texture under his hands. As if he had climbed it the last time he saw it. Before the memory could come back, his attention was captured by the sound of the window shutting.

     Looking at the windowsill, the memory of flesh flashed in his mind. Warm soft lips that Keith remembered craving for a long time. He bit his own lip as he remembered the loving touches they had experienced before.

“Is someone up there?” Shiro asked. His voice grounded Keith, and he shook his mind away from the fantastic memories.

“I…I dunno.”

“Lets go check,” Shiro suggested.

“Maybe I should go alone,” Keith replied. Shiro was quiet for a moment.

“Keith-“

“Trust me,” he interrupted. “…please,” he added when w noticed Shiro’s displeasure.

“Fine. If I hear anything, I’m coming up,” he warned. Keith nodded and then started to climb the stairs.

     Each step was like deja vu. He could clearly remember the scenery. The beautiful sunlight, and the trees and the birds. At the top of the hill he could remember someone…waiting for him. No, watching him.

     When he knocked on the door there was no answer. He didn’t try again for a response, and instead opened the door. It was unlocked, but he had a feeling it was never meant to be locked in the first place. As he opened the door, the smell of freshly cooked eggs hit him. His heart melted at the smell, and he continued to push the door open.

     The moment he saw him again…it was like everything was unlocked. His memories were only just now deciding to share with him the whole story, and he nearly wept at the feet of his love. Lance stood next to the table, his hands twisting nervously. On the table were two plates of scrambled eggs and a pitcher of lemonade. Keith’s eyes took in every detail before looking back at Lance who smiled at him.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised…you did promise you’d come back,” he spoke, his voice hitting Keith like a ton of bricks. He couldn’t reply, and so Lance smoothed his hands over linen pants before speaking again.

“I dunno how long you plan to stay, but…I saw your ship approaching earlier and got excited. I made us lunch,” he gestured to the neatly arranged plates. Keith was still frozen at the door. “I-I hope it’s not too much. I just…I missed you a lot, and-“

“How long has it been?” Keith asked. His eyes darted to Lance’s neck, and mourned the unmarked skin. Lance was silent for a moment.

“Its been two weeks…” he announced. “Which, should be nothing compared to how long I’ve been here, but-“

“It isn’t nothing,” Keith whispered hoarsely. Lance blinked at him with wide blue eyes, and Keith let go of the door to walk closer.

“C-compared to five hundred and eighty years, I-“

“I haven’t seen you in sIX hours,” Keith told him. “And it feels like it’s been an eternity.”

“S-s-six hours?” Lance stuttered. He backed up as Keith approached him, and eventually was met with the table.

“Lance…I don’t think you’ve actually been here for five hundred years.”

“Are you mad?” Lance asked turning his face away. Keith wrapped his arms around Lance’s waist.

“Come with me,” he whispered. Lance pressed his lips together, and couldn’t resist looking back at his love. Keith’s eyes were wide with desperation, and Lance wanted more than anything to go.

“I-I can’t,” he whimpered.

“Yes, you can,” Keith urged and leaned closer. Lance’s hands made their way up Keith’s chest, and his lips trembled as his breathing picked up.

“I missed you so much,” Lance sighed.

“I missed you too, Lance…” he moved his hands to cup Lance’s face. “Let me take you away from here.”

“I…”

“I dunno what’s really going on with this island, but I know that you don’t belong here. You belong with me,” Keith urged. Lance sighed and then kissed Keith on the lips.

“I’m scared,” he confessed. Keith kissed him back.

“I am too…” he murmured.

“I-“

“Keith, we need to-“

     Shiro froze where he was after he barged in. His eyes locked on Keith’s hands, and it all clicked to him. He quickly evaluated the situation and continued with his course of action.

“We need to get out of here. You’re either bringing him with us, or you’re leaving him behind. Either way, we’re leaving,” Shiro announced.

“Why?” Keith asked.

“The island…It doesn’t want me to leave,” Lance murmured as he noticed the wind picking up outside.

“What?”

“It wants to kill you,” Lance told him. “This is why I have to stay.”

“ _No_ ,” Keith insisted sternly.

     Before Lance could protest, Keith crouched down to wrap his arms around Lance’s waist and then toss him over his shoulder. Lance yelped, but he was already being carried out of his cottage and down the stairs. He sobbed as Keith held him tighter, and watched as the wind started to tear at his home. By the time they got to Keith’s ship, his cottage was completely blown away.

“We need to fly with the current so it’ll carry us out of the atmosphere!” Keith shouted over the rushing wind as they climbed into Red Rover.

“Are you crazy! The currents will drive us right into the ocean!” Shiro yelled back as Keith hoisted Lance up to climb into the cockpit. Lance did so, and reached for his love. Their hands connected, and Keith was hauled into the cockpit once more before shutting the door.

“He’s right. The currents are too strong to fight,” Lance replied. Shiro blinked at him.

“Who are you?” He asked.

“Get aquatinted _after_ we get out of here, okay?” Keith hissed and started the engine. It purred to life, and he started rolling in the harsh wind.

“Go as high as you can. The further away from the trees and the sea, the better,” Lance told him as Keith started to lift off. 

     He angled his ship up, and it jostled in the currents. Rain and hail started to hit the ship, and Keith was thankful to Hunk for the extra protection. Shiro was on the tablet again, desperately trying to get into contact with Pidge and Hunk again. A dot showed up every now and then.

“A hurricane will form soon. Aim as straight up as you can,” Lance told him.

     He even took Keith’s hand and tugged the controls to a minty degree. The whole ship shook, and gravity was lost for a moment. Shiro tumbled back into the supplies, and groaned. Lance’s fingers over lapped Keith’s, and he felt tears jerking at his eyes as they started to bear the break of the atmosphere.

“Keith! The frequency!” Shiro shouted.

“Shit…” Keith hissed. He dug in his pockets for his ear plugs and handed them to Lance.

“Put these on,” he urged.

“What?”

“There’s something about the atmosphere that puts out a frequency. It does something to our memories. Just put them on!” He snapped. Lance started to cry and shook his head.

“Keith, no…” he cried.

“Lance, _now_ ,” he growled.

“I-I can’t…I-“

“Lance-“

     Keith’s ears were plugged before he could finish his sentence. He gasped up at Lance as the other man’s eyes went blank for a second. His fingers were pressing the plugs into Keith’s ears, but everything about him was absent. They passed the frequency and broke out of the atmosphere, and then Lance was out.

“Shit!” Keith angled Red towards their main ship, and flicked out the ear buds. Shiro gently lifted Lance’s head off the ground and cradled it in his hands as he remained knocked out.

“He’s breathing.”

     They landed in the ship, and rushed Lance to the medbay. Shiro and Hunk immediately hooked him up to check his vitals, and checked his eyes. He was given liquids, but there was nothing else they could really do except wait for him to wake up.

“He’s alive, Keith,” Shiro assured him.

“What happened to him? W-why did he just…”

“I don’t know, Keith. Don’t worry about it until he wakes up and you can ask,” Shiro assured him. Keith bit his lip, and then accidentally cut it when the ship jostled. “Shit…”

“What was that?” Keith questioned out loud as he walked toward the control room.

“Keith! Shiro! The planet has turned into a black hole! We need you guys to turn this ship around!” Pidge announced over the intercom.

“Shit!” Shiro repeated.

     They ran up to the control room together just in time to see the planet cave in on itself. Pidge was sat on one of the chairs hugging her knees in terror. Keith and Shiro quickly took their spots, and turned the ship around. Pidge still looked petrified.

“We’re gonna go into hyper speed. There’s no other way we’ll be able to escape with that black hole so close,” Shiro said. Keith nodded and started to prep the ship for hyper speed. “On my count…one…”

     Keith flipped open the box that protected they hyper speed lever.

“Two…”

     Pidge watched with anticipation as Keith then rested his hand on the silver lever. He glanced over at her, and didn’t like how terrified she looked.

“One!”

     With that, Keith pushed on the lever, and they were all launched into space. Pidge clung to her seat, and cried for the first time. At least the first time Keith had ever seen. They had traveled together for years with Shiro and Hunk, and not once did the little girl cry in his company.

     When they stopped they were in a different galaxy. Keith didn’t stay to figure out which, and instead marched back to the medbay despite Shiro’s calls for him to return. He ran back to Lance’s side, and looked up at Hunk who had sat with him the whole time.

“Do you think…the planet did that because we took Lance away?” Hunk asked. Keith was quiet for a moment before letting his hand grab the limp tan fingers in front of him.

“He told me the island fed on heartbreak. That it kept him for almost six hundred years because his heart hurt so much…” he pressed the back of Lance’s hand to his lips. “It didn’t want him to leave, and when there was no one else’s heart to feed off of, it probably started to eat itself.”

“That’s…terrible.” Keith nodded.

“When I first met Lance, he nursed me back to health. He helped me get back here even though he wanted me to stay with him. I only wanted to do the same,” Keith said.

“So…are you like…” he trailed off. Keith looked up at Hunk. He made an obscure gesture with his hands. “Like…y’know…a thing?”

“A thing?” Keith raised an eyebrow. Hunk rolled his eyes.

“Keith, you’re holding the man’s hand, it seems like you’re into each other,” he pointed out. Keith blinked and then blushed. He looked at Lance again and sighed.

     It took a couple days before Lance showed signs of life again. He twitched a couple times before, but after two long nights of waiting by his side, Keith was more than ecstatic when Lance moved his head and moaned tiredly. He jumped to his feet and laced his fingers with Lance’s, tears starting to well up in his eyes. Lance finally opened those bright blue eyes of his, and Keith couldn’t stop smiling.

“Hey…” he said. Lance blinked at him.

“Hi…” he replied.

     Keith couldn’t contain himself. He leaned in and placed a loving kiss on Lance’s lips. The other man stiffened a little, but then relaxed as Keith cupped his face. He pulled back and then rested his forehead against Lance’s with a big smile. His hand caressing Lance’s cheek and into his hair. His other hand was still intertwined with tan finger. He pulled back with a smile.

“I missed you,” He said. Lance blinked at him again, as if he was seeing Keith for the first time.

“…who…who are you?”


	3. Three

     Needless to say, Keith was upset. His first reaction to Lance’s question was silence, and then he left. In hindsight, that was a big mistake. Lance clearly lost some of his memories, but how many memories, Keith didn’t know. He knew he should’ve stayed, but the moment he saw the unfamiliar look in Lance’s face he couldn’t handle it. He was completely unrecognizable to his love.

Within an hour after he left, Hunk tracked him down pacing in the hanger. His eyes were too dry and tired to cry, and his body was too wound up to even think about heaving. Despite the heaviness in his chest, the pulsing in his head was worse. He really just wanted to think and figure out how to fix everything, but he was still arguing with himself about whether or not Lance really couldn’t remember him. Hunk only managed to get him to stop because he stepped in the way of his pacing.

“Keith, Lance is asking for you,” Hunk told him. His voice was filled with concern and a little bit of disappointment.

“He doesn’t remember me,” Keith replied and promptly turned around to continue pacing and thinking.

“You’re gonna like make a rut. C’mon, he’s really confused and Pidge and I have no idea how to jog his memory,” Hunk begged. Keith paused and crossed his arms.

“What makes you think I can help?”

“Uh, you literally risked your life and this ship to save him, and you spent like four days with him. You know him better than us who’ve only just met him like ten minutes ago,” Hunk pointed out. Keith sighed.

“I doubt he’ll be able to remember anything,” Keith said, but turned to head to the medbay.

Hunk followed, and they walked in to see Shiro and Pidge still talking to Lance about what happened. Keith stiffened when bright blue eyes locked onto him, and he stopped a few feet away from the bed. Hunk continued without noticing and smiled when Shiro and Pidge looked up to acknowledge him.

“Hey, we just finished telling Lance about how his planet ate itself after we rescued him from his weird warped time prison,” Pidge said.

“Awesome. I found Keith. He was in the hanger,” Hunk announced. Keith hand to look away from Lance once he was brought up. He could still feel those bright blues on him.

“Keith? Care to join us?” Shiro asked sternly.

Keith looked up at his older brother, and then walked over to the edge of the bed. Lance started to fiddle with his hair and his linen shirt. He appeared to be grooming himself for Keith’s eyes, and he instantly recognized it from when Lance did it to him. He wanted to smile and poke fun at him for obviously trying to make himself more presentable, but he bit his lip so he wouldn’t even smile let alone speak.

“We told Lance everything you told us. How we found his planet and how you went down and visited him, and then when you came back you insisted on going back to rescue him even though…you didn’t really remember him,” Pidge said.

“I told him about how he passed out,” Shiro added. Keith nodded once and then looked down at the bed.

“That’s good…”

“I guess the only thing he doesn’t really know now is…uh…everything you didn’t have time to tell us,” Hunk said. Keith glanced at the tanned man, and noted the desperation in his eyes. Like he wanted to remember him.

“Well, lets get him a room and some new clothes. If he cares to know more, then he has every right to ask,” Keith said before leaving again.

The next time Keith saw Lance he was in the middle of stabbing and destroying another practice dummy. It was lowered back into the under workings of the training deck, and a shiny new one was put in its place. Keith twirled his sword and instantly started swinging and dodging. He didn’t spot the other man until the dummy saw him first and started to incorporate his attacks on Lance. It lunged for the other man, and Keith quickly chopped its head off. The ball of metal and wire rolled to Lance’s feet, and Keith glared at him panting. He looked thoroughly frightened.

“I…sorry, I-“

“Don’t stand so close to the dummies when they’re in use. They’ll think you’re training too,” Keith said and sheathed his sword. He walked over to grab the head and instantly walked back to the dummy to dispose of yet another one.

“Oh…uh…”

“Inside the circle,” Keith pointed to the red platform he stood on. He then pointed at Lance. “You’re a target.”

“How was I supposed to know that?” Lance asked frowning.

“That’s why I’m telling you,” Keith said and watched the destroyed dummy go down. Another one popped up again, and he grabbed his sword. Lance stepped behind the red, and continued to watch as Keith went through yet another one.

“Are you…um…a fighter?” Lance asked. Keith wiped the sweat away from his forehead and sighed.

“Yes,” he answered.

“Is that why you were brave enough to rescue me?” He continued. Keith pressed his lips into a thin line, and turned off the practice sequence. He turned and started to walked towards the door.

“I wasn’t brave enough to rescue you. I was just reckless enough,” keith replied and walked out. Lance scrambled after him.

“Why reckless?”

“Because I couldn’t even remember your name, but I knew I made a promise to you,” Keith said. Lance was quiet for a moment as they walked together.

“What was your promise?” He asked quieter.

Keith huffed and stopped outside the showers. He looked over at his love and delved into his memories he had only recently recovered. The pale man reached out and moved a piece of hair away from Lance’s face before letting his hand drop.

“That I’d return to you…”

It took a day or two to convince Keith to do anything but sleep and stab practice dummies. His heart mourned for the loss of Lance’s memories, and whenever he tried to distract himself the other man managed to butt his way back into him. Whether it was physically or mentally, Keith was confronted by him. Memories that thrived when Keith was lonely, and questions Lance had that he didn’t want to answer. It hurt just to think back to his time with Lance on his island. Shiro has to shove him into the showers so he wouldn’t stink, and it was then that Keith started to cave.

It wasn’t just Keith who was struggling. His entire team recognized the pain Lance’s failed memories caused. Hunk could easily tune into others feelings, and Pidge could at least see when Keith wasn’t okay. Shiro knew best of all, but he didn’t plan on letting Keith mope around for long.

“You need to talk to Lance,” Shiro told him. Keith dried his hair some more and shrugged.

“Sure.”

“No. Not sure. Yes, you /will/ talk to him,” Shiro replied sternly. Keith turned give his older brother a soft glare. Like he was too exhausted to be livid, but he was damn close.

“What’s there to talk about? He doesn’t remember me, and nothing I say will help him,” Keith replied and turned back towards his room.

“He’s curious about you, Keith,” Shiro announced. Keith stopped for a moment before turning his head slightly to hear Shiro better.

“…Okay…” he murmured.

“He has no idea who he really is, and the only person who could tell him about himself is avoiding him like the plague,” Shiro reminded him.

“He’s free to ask me anything,” Keith replied flippantly.

“He says he doesn’t want to bother you. Keith…” Shiro put a hand on his shoulder. Keith sighed. “…please. At least try,” he begged. Keith was silent for a moment before nodding.

“Okay…”

“Good. We’re still scanning this galaxy we landed in, but Pidge said we should have all the info in the morning. Get some rest after you talk,” he urged. Keith nodded.

“Yeah…”

The room they gave Lance was on the other side of the ship. Keith made sure their rooms were far away from each other. He knew it was stupid and childish, but he couldn’t resist the panicked need to distance himself from the other man. Mostly because it hurt to think Lance didn’t remember their time they shared together, but also because he knew if he put the space there himself he had no risk of feeling the abandonment he always feared.

Lance was already in bed, but he wasn’t sleeping. It was hard for him to sleep ever since he woke up. Mostly because his mind was running in constant circles trying to figure out who he was, but also because he couldn’t stop thinking about Keith. How happy he was when Lance first woke up. How soft and gentle his voice and his kiss was in the five seconds before Lance announced that he had no memories of him. He was starting to regret blurting it out so quickly because the idea of Keith speaking to him and looking at him like that again…he craved it for some reason.

The door opened and Lance jumped under his sheets. He sat up and looked over at Keith with wide eyes. He stood there looking sheepish, and then cleared his throat.

“Sorry…I should’ve knocked or something,” he murmured. Lance relaxed a little and nodded.

“Yeah…um…”

“Shiro tells me you’ve been a little hesitant to ask me things that you want to ask,” Keith announced. Lance was quiet for a moment before blinking at the other man.

“I…I didn’t want to bother you…it felt like you didn’t actually want to talk about it,” Lance said. Keith nodded and moved a little closer. Lance turned his body towards Keith, and let his legs hang off the bed.

“I…don’t. To be completely honest, it hurts, but…I know you must be in pain too. Waking up with no idea who you are or what your purpose is…” Keith trailed off as he thought back to his first day on the beach. “…is tough…”

“I just…I wanna apologize for um…making you uncomfortable. The way I said that I don’t know you…it was kinda rude,” Lance said. Keith shook his head.

“Its fine. You had no idea,” he murmured.

“Yeah, but-“

“Why dont you just…ask me the things you wanna know?” Keith interrupted crossing his arms. Lance shifted uncomfortably before nodding.

“Okay…um…they’ve already told me I was on a deserted island on a deserted planet. They’ve told me that my planet was destroyed because I left it. They said that there was a frequency in the atmosphere when we left that cause my memories to disappear…and Shiro told me I did that to save yours…” Keith nodded slowly as he took in what Lance knew. He then gave a quick nod to confirm it all.

“We only had two pairs of ear plugs. I tried to get you to put them on, but you were being stubborn,” Keith replied. Lance bit his lower lip.

“What was it like on the island?” He asked. Keith watched hundreds of memories and moments pass him, and he took a moment to think of his response.

“It was probably the most beautiful experience in my life…” Keith replied looking Lance in the eyes. Lance blinked coyly and patted his bed.

“Tell me about it,” he whispered.


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh…it’s been like almost a year ish? I’ve been really busy with work and school, and tbh I’ve only started writing again because my anxiety is really bad and it’s one of my oldest coping mechanisms. I don’t think I’ll be consistent with this story or any of my writing. In fact I haven’t seen any of the recent like three seasons??? So yeah :/

“Did you finally get him to talk to Lance?” Shiro looked up from his screen and smiled at Hunk. The other man sat down in one of the spare chairs in the war room and leaned back.

“I hope so. Wanna check?” He pressed a couple buttons and set his device on the table. Hunk leaned in and peered at the image flickering on the screen.

“…it was really confusing at first…I had no memory, or purpose when I woke up. The first thing I saw was you…your eyes filled with concern…it was really sunny…” Keith’s voice filled the air.

“Its a good start,” Shiro murmured and flicked away the screen to grant them privacy. Hunk nodded in agreement.

“Definitely. Talking about it will help him overcome his anger and shit,” Hunk replied. “How’s the research going? Any nasties nearby?” Shiro hummed in disappointment.

“Mmm…kinda. There’s some pretty bad ones that would only take a day to get to, but they’re not as horrible as some of the shit we’ve taken down before.”

“Oof. That’s tricky.”

“If they were a bunch of fascists this would be an easy decision, but sadly their population is only slightly tortured and is estimated to over throw its government by itself within the next year anyways,” Shiro explained. Hunk sighed.

“Damn…maybe the next galaxy?” He suggested.

“I was thinking the same thing. It might take us a few days just to get past this one, but there’s honestly not enough to interfere with.”

“We should stop by the closest planet for a pit stop. Pidge can’t make it much longer without something new to tinker with,” Hunk told him. Shiro nodded.

“I’ll set a course for the morning,” he smiled. Hunk smiled back and nodded.

“Sounds good captain.”

 

* * *

 

     Keith woke up to a bright light. It hurt at first, but as he blinked his eyes open he welcomed the sight of the burning sun. After squeezing his eyes shut and stretching, he realized he was sleeping in the sand. He sat up and blinked at the tan grains that slipped through his fingers, and then looked out at the sea. The sun glittered across the surface, and it gave Keith a charming sense of nostalgia.

     Just as he was about to stand up, his sight was stolen and there was heat pressed against his ear. His first reaction was to relax, for some odd reason, as a familiar voice flooded his senses.

“Guess who?” A singsong voice tweeted followed by a kiss. Keith smiled.

“Lance…” he said automatically. 

     He barely registered the name as it left his lips. A giggle graced his hearing, and he reached up to pull at the soft hands over his eyes. When he turned his head, he was immediately greeted with a kiss from his lover. Tan skin blinked into view when Keith opened his eyes, and he pressed his forehead against his love in simple appreciation of his presence. Lance’s arms slipped around Keith’s neck as he sat down in the sand next to him. Fingers twirled in midnight black hair, and Keith reached up to caress his love.

“I missed you,” Keith whispered.

“I never left you,” Lance replied and let Keith’s hand touch his face.

“You can’t remember me, much less yourself,” Keith murmured mournfully. His eyes opened, but were unfocused as he lost himself to the texture of lances cheek. Lance covered Keith’s hand with his own.

“I’m still here, Keith.” He promised. “Don’t mourn what’s not gone.”

“Lance…your memories-“

“Are safe with me. You just need to find me,” Lance assured him. Keith blinked up at his lover.

“Find you? What do you mean? I have you,” Keith said. Lance nodded.

“You have me in your hands…but not your heart. Let me in again. Just like the first time, baby,” Lance cooed. Keith frowned, and then sighed. He moved his forehead to Lance’s shoulder.

“I just wanna stay here forever…” he said. Lance held Keith closer and kissed his head.

“I do too…”

 

* * *

 

     This time when Keith woke up there was no warmth. Instead he was in his dim dark room by himself. It was a sad reality to wake up to, but he woke up to it regardless. So he got up and dressed himself before he could mope about it, and headed straight for the training room. When he walked in he was surprised by what he saw, and froze not knowing how to react.

“Y’see, these long swords are kinda weighing you down, buddy. Maybe we should try something that’s lighter. Like a gun maybe,” Shiro said as he plucked the heavy steel from Lance’s skinny arms. Lance blinked in curiosity and wiped the sweat from his furrowed brows.

“A gun?” He questioned.

“Yeah. You could be our sharp shooter.”

“Absolutely not,” Keith announced in a much more harsh tone than he expected from himself. Shiro and Lance looked back st him with wide eyes, and he marched over to put some space between Shiro and Lance.

“He wouldn’t hurt a fly,” He seethed through clenched teeth. “Lance has more compassion for a total stranger than most people have for their own family.”

“Keith-“

“Don’t even think about involving him with fighting,” Keith interrupted and took Lance’s wrist. He lead the skinny man out of the training room, and continued down the hallways.

“W-wait, Keith!” Lance struggled to try and twist out of Keith’s grasp, but eventually he tugged his wrist free. Keith stopped and glared back at him.

“What did he tell you? That we’re a bunch of freedom fighters? That we’re doing a good thing or some bullshit like that? I swear he’s only telling you half of it just to persuade you-“

“I asked him to train me!” Lance shouted. Keith was stunned into silence. He blinked at Lance with wide eyes. Lance blushed and looked away. “I thought it could bring us closer…” he explained shyly. Keith’s jaw dropped and all he could do was watch Lance twiddle his thumbs.

“You…”

“You train all the time, and…a-and I thought that maybe we could train together since you don’t exactly care for talking,” Lance elaborated.

“So…Shiro _didn’t_ try and talk you into fighting with us?” Keith asked. Lance shook his head, his eyes filled with confusion.

“I didn’t know you fought something other than in training,” Lance replied. Keith crosses his arms.

“You’ve never wondered what I was training for?” He questioned. Lance paused before shrugging. Keith chuckled and looked away.

“Was I supposed to?” Lance asked. Keith shrugged and turned to lightly kick the wall.

“I guess not…it’s just nothing you would train for,” Keith said. Lance nodded, and Keith looked up at him. “Don’t do things just to try and get to me. I’m really sorry, I should’ve spoken to you sooner.”

“Oh…okay…”

“I care about you,” Keith said reaching out and grabbing Lance’s hand. 

     Navy eyes stared into ocean blues, and Lance felt something click. His eyes widened at the feeling of Keith’s skin, and he suddenly had a rough idea of how much Keith ment to him. Wetness started to gather in his lashes. Keith frowned.

“What’s wrong?” He asked stepping closer. Lance blinked at Keith and a tear rolled down his cheek. Then a smile split across his face and he started fixing the wrinkles in Keith’s teeshirt. He sniffled.

“I think I remember you,” he whispered. Keith clenched his jaw.

“You do?” He asked. Lance nodded.

“I cant remember a lot, but I remember the feelings and…” he sniffled again. “Wow, it really hurt for a while…I think I lost you…” Keith nodded.

“I had to leave to figure out my purpose…I would’ve been trapped on the island, and you insisted I left,” he explained. Lance took a shaky breath.

“We were…lovers?” He asked. Keith blushed and looked away.

“Well…something like that. We never…you were convinced I’d want to stay if we ever…” Keith struggled to find the right words and found himself pulling away. Lance instinctively tightened his grip on Keith’s shirt.

“S-sorry! I-I didn’t mean to pry,” he said in a desperate attempt to bring Keith closer again. Keith paused and furrowed his brows.

“There’s…nothing to be sorry for. You have every right. It’s something we experienced together,” Keith said. Lance held his breath as he held on to Keith’s words. “You’re still you…I just gotta find you again,” Keith assured him. Lance furrowed his brows.

“Find me?” Keith opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as Shiro jogged up to them.

“Hey…uh, can we talk?” He asked Keith. The pale man looked between Shiro and Lance before nodding.

“Yeah…what’s up?” He replied stepping back from Lance. Shiro eyed the other man.

“Preferably just the two of us,” he said.

“Oh,” Lance spoke up. “I’ll go check in with Hunk,” he announced. Keith watched him walk down the hall until he turned the corner, and then focused his attention on Shiro.

“What’s up?” He repeated.

“We’re skipping this galaxy,” Shiro informed him. Keith frowned.

“Really? We haven’t done that in a long time.”

“Pidge and I analyzed every planet within this solar system, and none of them seem to need any intervening. If we land somewhere it’ll most likely disturb every life form,” he explained. Keith thought for a second and crossed his arms.

“Okay. I guess we should continue,” he decided.

“Maybe, but I had a thought-“

“Well that’s never good,” Keith murmured teasingly. Shiro rolled his eyes and ruffled Keith’s hair. He swatted the captains hand away, but smiled regardless.

“What I was saying, is that I think maybe we should take a break,” he suggested. Keith’s smile faded.

“A break?” He laughed incredulously. “Why?”

“Well…I dunno if you’ve noticed, but you’ve kinda been stressed out,” Shiro informed him.

“What? I’m not-“

“That, and Lance is still extremely vulnerable and sensitive right now. It would be kind of difficult keeping track of him even if he was just on the ship,” Shiro continued. Keith’s hands tightened into fists.

“Leave Lance out of this. There is no if. He’s not going to be involved,” he said through clenched teeth. Shiro sighed.

“Okay…but you have to acknowledge he’s not one hundred percent better. I think we should take some time to recover in this galaxy where it’s safe,” he said. Keith was silent for a moment before he started pacing.

“Who else have you suggested this to?” He questioned.

“No one. Last I talked with Hunk was last night, and we were more on the conclusion to continue.”

“I wanna hear what he has to say about it,” Keith said. Shiro nodded.

“Understandable…let’s go find him now then.”

“Yes. Let’s,” Keith agreed and walked with Shiro down the hall.

“Did you talk to Lance last night?” Shiro asked. Keith nodded.

“Yeah.”

“What did you talk about?”

“The island…and stuff.”

“Did he seem to feel better?” Shiro noted the heaviness under Keith’s eyes. Keith shrugged.

“He seemed happy to talk…I didn’t get around to everything because so much happened, but…” he blushed and looked down. “…it was nice talking to him again.” Shiro smiled as they turned the corner and pulled out his screen to message Hunk.

“That’s good. He said the same thing earlier,” he said casually. There was a deafening silence followed by Keith clearing his throat.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Um…what else did he say?” Keith asked rubbing the back of his neck. 

     Shiro chuckled as they entered the war room. Hunk and Lance looked up from where they sat and smiled at the two men approaching them. Lance smiled brightly at Keith, and Keith could barely hold his eyes for two seconds without turning pink.

“Greetings, gentlemen,” Shiro grinned.

“Sup, boss?” Hunk replied. Lance giggled, and Keith melted at the sound.

“Keith and I were talking and he wanted to hear your thoughts on an idea I had,” Shiro announced.

“Alright let’s hear it,” Hunk replied. Shiro nodded.

“I thought, since Keith and Lance are still dealing with our precious mission, that we should take a break here,” he said. Hunk frowned.

“Uh…what?”

“This galaxy is practically harmless. I don’t think there’s anything here that could really attack us and win. Keith is very stressed, and Lance still hasn’t recovered his memory, so I think we should allow them to recover,” he explained. Hunk pursed his lips.

“It definitely sounds nice, but I dunno how much time we can afford…how long are we talking?”

“Not long. Just long enough to get our bearings and recover a little,” Shiro replied. 

     Lance tried to listen carefully, but he’ll admit he was distracted. His eyes kept finding Keith, and eventually he managed to hold the other mans navy stare. He smiled and looked down, biting his lip coyly. When he looked back up he felt like he was floating looking at Keith. The ship seemed to melt around him, and instead they were surrounded by sad and the ocean. He could smell the sea salt, and feel the sand between his toes. His eyes closed automatically, but when he opened them he was surprised to see the three other men looking down at him. Lance blinked, and rubbed at the pain blossoming from the back of his head.

“Okay…maybe a break is a good idea,” Hunk agreed. Keith was already crouched down when slipped his fingers under Lance’s skull.

“Are you okay?” He asked, worry tainting his voice. Lance felt a wave of comfort that made his body go lax.

“I am now…” he hummed. Keith paused for a second before smiling.

“You haven’t changed a bit…”


	5. Five

     It was easy to get lost. Especially when being found was so exhausting. Water poured over Keith’s head as he sat. It dribbled over his neck and down his back, soaking into his clothes and his hair. It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold. Instead it was an unsatisfying lukewarm temperature that left him feeling simply wet and uncomfortable. Deprived of the relief that warmth would provide, and not quite cold enough to form goosebumps.

“What are you doing, silly?”

     Keith looked up and blinked at the smiling face above him. Lance stood with his arms crossed. The simple clothes from the island was completely bone dry despite being surrounded by water. He crouched down to be eye level with Keith and tilted his head.

“You’re gonna catch a cold if you don’t dry off, dummy,” he said reaching for Keith’s arm. Tan fingers slipped over his wrist, and Keith instantly grasped the other mans hand. Before Lance could try and pull him up, Keith shook his head.

“I can’t,” he said. His voice sounded hoarse and weak. It was upsetting. Lance frowned.

“Why not, baby?” He cooed and settled on his knees. Keith’s eyes dropped to where his lover sat, and he mourned the soaked cloth.

“I don’t know how to find you,” he murmured. Lance cupped Keith’s face and turned the other man’s navy gaze at him.

“I’m right here. I’ve always been right here,” he promised. “Even you said, I haven’t changed one bit.” Keith couldn’t tell if it was water or tears rolling down his face.

“I can’t talk to you about it without crying,” he confessed. Lance nodded.

“Then cry, baby. I’ll know what to do,” he assured him. Keith nodded and watched a tear fall down Lance’s cheek. He reached out to wipe it away and then touched his lips.

“I love you…” Lance smiled.

“Find me.”

 

* * *

 

     Keith woke up covered in sweat. His breath came out quickly, and it took him a moment to remember where he was. He blinked up at the ceiling, and recognized that he was in the medical bay. Then he recognized how sore his neck was, and sat up in the chair he passed out in. He rubbed the muscle and took a moment to blink the sleep away. When he was fully able to look around, the first thing he spotted was Lance in the medical bed in front of him. He frowned, and then his memory from the previous afternoon came back to him. He sighed and then ran his fingers through his hair.

     That afternoon, after Lance passed out for a couple seconds, Shiro suggested they keep Lance in the medbay that night. It was hard for Keith to sleep in his room that night, so he snuck out in the middle of the night to check up on Lance. The tan man was resting so peacefully, and Keith was too sleep deprived to want to go back to his cold and empty room. He yawned countless times, and kept his eyes on the other mans profile as he slept.

     That night he learned Lance moved a lot in his sleep. His arms and legs twitched, and he’d turn over every hour or so. Keith only spent one night with him, but he must’ve been too deep in sleep to notice his restless habits.

     Even as Keith woke up from his accidental nap, Lance was still fast asleep and fidgeting. He stood up and walked to the edge of his bed. Lance turned over again, this time fully facing Keith, as if he could sense he was nearby. Keith reached out and pushed some of Lance’s hair out of his face. The other man’s body seemed to instantly relax and almost invite Keith to touch him more. Pale fingers slid down to caress the side of his face, and Lance responded by nuzzling against them. Keith crouched down and continued to touch and hold Lance’s face. Lance continued to settle deeper and deeper into sleep.

“I love you…” Keith murmured. Lance’s fingers found Keith’s wrist, but before he could get too comfortable Keith stood up. As he started to walk away he was surprised to hear the other man speak.

“Keith…?” He murmured. Keith looked behind him and watched as Lance pushed himself up and rub his eyes. “Where are you going?” He pouted. Keith bit his lip and returned to his lovers side.

“I need to shower,” he explained. Lance blinked before yawning and nodding. He then started to pull off his sheets and sit up. “Where are you going?” Keith asked.

“Mm…shower?” He questioned rubbing his eyes again. Keith blushed.

“Um…”

“ I don’t have a shower, but…” he yawned again. “There’s a waterfall…down the path.” Keith frowned.

“Lance?”

“Shower…I don’t have soap,” Lance added.

“I have my own soap,” Keith assured him.

“Where’d you get it?” Lance asked. Keith sighed and guided Lance back onto his bed. “Shower?”

“Why don’t you get back to sleep?” Keith suggested.

“Wait…” Lance held himself up, and Keith stopped. Tan fingers reached up and grabbed Keith’s sweaty shirt. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I’ll be right back, I promise,” Keith cooed and held Lance’s hand. Lance pouted, his eyes blinking slowly as if he was fighting to stay awake.

“I wanna come with you,” he insisted. Keith sighed and let his head down.

“Okay…”

     And that was how Keith found himself leading a half-asleep, rather clingy, Lance down the hallway to the showers. He sat down Lance in one of the benches and patted his shoulders. He was still fighting to keep his eyes open, and the medical robes were falling down his arms. Keith picked the fabric back up and turned to start up the water.

     The ship was built for an army. That being said, almost everything was built for a community. There were no shower stalls or individual designs apart from their rooms. Instead they had a giant mess hall, a giant war room, and a giant shower meant for dozens of men to shower at once. There was little privacy left in an army, but since there was only usually four people aboard at once, it was pretty easy to avoid showering together. Sometimes it happened, but they all had a sense of professionalism to it.

     Keith stripped off his shirt as the water ran and warmed up. He hung it on the tile divider, and then walked over to the soaps to grab his shampoo and bar soap. When he walked back to the faucet he noticed Lance tugging at his robes. Keith put down his soaps and walked over to the other man.

“What are you doing?” Keith asked. Lance seemed to have a little more awareness for what was happening, but still had problems moving his exhausted limbs.

“I feel really gross. I wanna shower too,” he explained. Keith nodded and helped Lance pull his arms out.

“I’ll get a faucet running for you,” Keith said and walked away to do so. 

     Lance slowly stood up and followed him as he continued to unwrap his robe. When he got to the running faucet Keith was finishing up undressing himself. He put his soaps into the cubby hole between their faucets, and stepped under his own running water.

     Warmth soaked into Keith’s hair and tan down his body. His goosebumps smoothed down, and his muscles relaxed. The stream provided that relief his dream refused him, and he instantly let out a deep breath. His eyes closed automatically when he stepped under, and when he opened them again he looked over at Lance watching him. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he looked confused.

“You okay?” Keith asked. Lance blinked and looked at the floor.

“I…I dunno…” he murmured.

“What’s up?” He turned and faced Lance completely. Lance paused before looking Keith in the eyes.

“What happened? Why…where are we?” His voice was spacey, yet anxious.

“We’re on the ship, Lance. You passed out yesterday,” Keith told him calmly. More confusion filled Lance’s face.

“The ship…what…where’s…” he ran his fingers through his hair. “Where’s my family? I-I told my mom I’d be home this winter,” he said. Keith blinked.

“Your family?” He questioned.

“I think I need help…” Lance said, his breath quickening. Keith quickly grabbed his shoulders and turned Lance’s shoulders to face him.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Keith assured him. Lance relaxed at Keith’s touch. “Listen…I don’t know any of the answers to your questions, but I do know that what’s important is that you’re safe and alive,” he told him. Lance nodded.

“I’m safe…” he repeated. His hands found Keith’s arms, and desperately grabbed on.

“You’re having some memory problems, and that’s okay. Okay? It’s fine.” He nodded again. “I’m here with you. I…” Keith hesitated for a moment, but continued. “…I haven’t always been with you, but I’ll be here for you now. Okay?”

“Okay…” Lance nodded once more. Keith cupped Lance’s face and looked him in the eyes.

“We’ll figure this out,” he whispered.

“What happened to my house?” Lance asked. Keith blinked.

“Your…house? You mean on the beach? You remember that?” Keith felt his fingers tremble. Lance frowned.

“I’ve lived there for hundreds of years. I…I can’t imagine I’d forget it,” he said. Keith’s eyes widened.

“D-do you remember me?” He asked. Lance furrowed his brows and pulled Keith’s hands away to hold them.

“Of course I do…” he trailed off and rubbed his forehead. “At least…some of you…I know you’re close to me.” Keith felt his heart drop a little. He leaned down to kiss Lance’s hand that was still holding his. When he looked up the other man was blushing, and he let out a harsh breath.

“Geez…” he placed his free hand over his chest. “K-Keith…” He was at a loss for words, and Keith could tell.

“Was that too much?” He asked. Lance’s chest was almost heaving.

“Yes…I-I mean…I just wasn’t expecting…but i-it’s not bad, just…” he held Keith’s hand tighter and stared at where their skin connected. “It feels like it’s been a hundred years since you’ve touched me…”

     Their fingers intertwined, and Keith watched his lovers face carefully. He watched the way his eyes lingered on their hands, and the way his chest heaved with his breathing. His brows pinched, and he swallowed hard. Keith couldn’t look away. That was, until he heard the sound of his adoptive older brother clearing his throat. His head had never whipped around faster.

“Am I interrupting something?” He asked. Keith blinked before shaking his head.

“No, we’re…” he looked back at Lance who was now bashfully looking down. “…we’re just cleaning off.”

“Well once you’re finished, I think we should do an assessment on Lance’s health,” Shiro announced. Keith nodded still looking at his love.

“I agree.”

 

* * *

 

 

     After a rather interestingly awkward shower, Keith guided Lance back to the medbay. He found himself in the same chair he woke up in half an hour ago watching Shiro go through the assessment with Hunk by his side observing.

“Good morning, Lance,” Shiro greeted with a smile. Lance nodded in response, and Hunk jotted something down. “How do you feel?”

“Um…confused…kinda,” Lance spoke.

“Can you tell me what you remember?” Shiro asked. Lance blinked and thought for a moment.

“…this isn’t my place. I remember my house on the beach…and I remember my family back home. I don’t really remember how I got on this ship, but…” Lance looked over at Keith shyly. He looked away quickly when he realized Keith was already watching him, and blushed loudly. “…I think I remember Keith…and what he means to me,” he confessed. Hunk continued writing things down and spoke for the first time since he entered the room.

“And you don’t remember waking up here before today?” He asked. Lance shook his head.

“I don’t think so…everything is kind of familiar, but it’s not at the same time,” Lance explained.

“Do you remember me?” Shiro asked. Lance looked at the older man.

“Should I?” He murmured. Shiro frowned.

“We were training together yesterday,” he reminded him. Lance bit his lip in thought.

“He barely remembers me, Shiro. It’s nothing to lose sleep over,” Keith said. Hunk snorted and Keith raised a brow at him. Hunk ignored him.

“I’m sorry I can’t remember. The only thing I can remember in detail is waking up and…” he risked a glance at Keith again. “…I guess everything leading up to now.” Hunk put his pen down.

“I recall you speaking fondly of Keith before you passed out yesterday. Do you remember any of that?” Hunk asked. Lance’s blush deepened and he looked away from the aforementioned man.

“N-no…I-I didn’t realize how hard it is to hold my tongue,” Lance stuttered. Keith chuckled and little.

“You’ve never been good at it,” he murmured mostly to himself.

“You were talking about how happy you were with the progression you two had been making. I take it you don’t remember the prior week either.” Lance nodded. Shiro sighed.

“It’s almost like we’re back to square one,” Shiro said. Lance hugged himself and looked away guiltily. Keith instantly felt a desire to hold him.

“Yeah…a break does sound like a good idea. I’ll tell Pidge we’re landing on the nearest planet to plan more.”

“Sounds good,” Shiro nodded and stood up. “Thank you, Lance. I hope you feel better,” Shiro said. 

     Lance nodded and the two left him alone with Keith. He turned his head to look at the other man and forced himself to hold his stare this time. Keith bit his lip in thought before looking down to run his fingers through his hair. His fingers traveled to the nape of his neck, and Lance couldn’t help but want to run his own hands through those midnight locks.

“This all must be very confusing for you…” he started. Lance got up and walked up to the other man. Keith looked up at him, and welcomed Lance as he crawled into his lap.

“I’m less confused when I think about you,” he said wrapping his arms around Keith’s neck. The pale man chastely held Lance around his waist and nodded.

“I know the feeling…on your island…things just felt right when I was with you,” he agreed. Lance smiled a little.

“What was it like on the island? I can’t remember specifics,” he asked excitedly. Keith smiled back.

“It was fun. You were kinda moody because of the curse, but…you made me eggs every morning. It was obvious that you liked me because you wanted me to move on and live my life,” Keith said. Lance couldn’t help playing with the ends of Keith’s hair, and got lost in watching his mouth move.

“I remember the curse…” his brows furrowed. He touched Keith’s chest. “…and I remember…it felt different with you…” his eyes were suddenly less present. “You promised you come back.” Keith lit up when those words left Lance’s lips.

“You…you remember that?” He stammered. As Lance looked back to Keith’s eyes, a tear rolled down his cheek.

“It felt like an eternity, but you came back,” Lance continued. He reached up and cupped Keith’s face. “You came back and you saved me…” tears were rushing down his face at that point.

“Of course I did,” Keith said. His voice hoarse and on the verge of crying himself. “I love you.”

“Oh, Keith…” he leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “I’m so sorry,” he breathed as he hugged him closer. Keith squeezed his lover around the waist and sniffled.

“You actually remember?” He asked. Lance nodded and nuzzled against him.

“I don’t know how I could’ve forgotten…I love you so much,” Lance whispered. Keith pulled back to give his love a firm kiss.

“I love you too…”

**Author's Note:**

> Hmu
> 
> Snap: ksenialynns  
> Insta: lynnart1998  
> Tumbl: fryingpanss.tumblr.com


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